Conclusion

39. The rise of digital on-demand work, the so-called ‘gig economy’, needs to be understood in relation to the rise of on-demand and precarious work generally in a climate of deregulation, austerity and the disenfranchisement of unions and workers. Addressing the problems in the gig economy requires changing the Federal industrial relations regime to address insecure work more generally. However, there is much the Victorian Government can do to improve workers’ bargaining power and the quality of jobs by promoting full employment and showing leadership as the major employer and economic actor in the Victorian economy.